The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE. Sara leaves Vegas and someone else comes along for the ride.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them (if I did, would there really need to be an effort underway to try and get them back?), I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them (like the money hungry folks at CBS). And if I was ever fortunate enough to meet George and Jorja, I'd buy them both coffee and spring for scones.  
  
**Author's Note:** Ultimately the direction of this story really depends on Les Moonves and Nancy Tellem at CBS.

* * *

A sinking feeling in the pit of Nick's stomach told him that there was something wrong the moment he walked through the doors of the lab that evening. Perhaps it was the subdued mood of everyone he passed, or perhaps it was just that he'd been on vacation the last two days to attend an anniversary party for his parents in Dallas, but whatever it was left an unsettled feeling inside of him. As he neared the break room, he slowed and could tell through the windows by the expressions on his coworker's faces that something was definitely wrong.  
  
Catherine's smile was forced as he entered the room. "Nick, welcome back."  
  
Warrick glanced over at him and nodded in greeting, his brow furrowed in frustration.  
  
Nick cut to the chase. "What's going on?"  
  
Catherine glanced at Warrick and then back at Nick. "Sara's gone."  
  
Nick looked as if someone had hit him in the gut. "What?"  
  
Catherine steeled herself and looked him in the eye. "She quit."  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "What the hell!" He looked at his two coworkers in disbelief. "When did this happen?"  
  
"This morning." Catherine's tone was measured, she knew that Nick and Sara were close. "She left a letter on Grissom's desk."  
  
Nick's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of his supervisor's name. "What did he do this time?"  
  
Warrick expression confirmed Nick's suspicions.  
  
"Nick, he didn't 'do' anything." Catherine tried to explain, knowing that the whole situation was far more complicated than the sentence could explain.  
  
Nick's jaw was set. It was obvious he didn't believe what Catherine was telling him. Sara was his friend and he'd seen the rise and fall of her emotions with how Grissom had treated her during the last four years. Over the last year since Grissom had turned down her invitation to dinner, Nick had watched as Sara tried to distance herself and move on. She had expressed several times that she felt her career wouldn't move forward if she remained under Grissom's leadership; it had stagnated in much the same way her feelings had. He was sure that whatever Grissom had done was just the straw that broke the camel's back.  
  
"Nicky?" Catherine looked at Nick with concern.  
  
He broke out of his reverie and looked at her with an earnest expression. "Where did she go?"  
  
Catherine looked conflicted. "I don't know. She didn't say, or if she did, Grissom's not saying."  
  
Warrick just remained silent, his jaw clenched.  
  
Anger flashed in Nick's eyes as he looked at his two coworkers. "As far as you're concerned, I had a flight delay." With that he turned on his heels and walked out of the break room and down the hallway to the front door. He didn't stop until he'd reached his vehicle, pulling his cell phone out as he opened the driver's door and punching in numbers as he climbed in behind the wheel. He signed in frustration as her voicemail picked up. "Hey, Sar, it's Nick. I'm worried about you, would you please call me? I'm going to head over and see if you're home, bye." He tossed the cell phone onto the passenger seat and started the ignition.  
  
It didn't take long to reach her apartment, and when he noticed her car in the parking lot, he let out a sigh of relief, until he noticed that it was loaded with boxes. He furrowed his brow as he descended from the vehicle and strode towards the stairs to her second floor apartment. He knocked purposefully on the door, waiting just a few moments before he heard footsteps and then a pause as he was sure she was looking through the peephole to see who it was.  
  
Sara's expression was sad as she opened the door. "Hey."  
  
Nick looked at her incredulously. "You quit."  
  
She nodded and opened the door wider to let him into her apartment. "Yeah, I did."  
  
He looked at her earnestly. "What did he do?"  
  
A smirk played at her lips. "It wasn't any one thing, Nick. Last night was just one more shit case in a long line of them. I'm just tired of feeling like I get them assigned to me because he's afraid that I'll take something the wrong way. He doesn't seem to understand that I've moved on and I just want my career to have a little life in it."  
  
"That's a relief, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't because of that striped shirt I have that you hate so much." Nick teased, needing to break the tension.  
  
She laughed. "Well there is that." She studied him for a moment. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"  
  
He had a determined expression. "I told Catherine and Warrick that as far as they were concerned my flight was delayed."  
  
Sara felt the corners of her mouth turning upward.  
  
"You're leaving Vegas aren't you?" Nick felt his stomach sink.  
  
She nodded, knitting her brows together before meeting his gaze. "I got an offer to head up a brand new lab up in Seattle."  
  
Nick winced. "Seattle?"  
  
"It's a great career move and the equipment is top of the line." She looked at him, an edge of regret around her eyes. "I just can't stay here anymore."  
  
Nick nodded. "Are you driving?" An idea was beginning to formulate in his mind.  
  
"You obviously saw my car." She smirked before looking at the floor and then glancing up at him. "I'm leaving in the morning. I was going to stop and see my parents on the way up the coast."  
  
"Want some company?" Nick knew his offer was impulsive and there would be repercussion for leaving without asking for time off, but at the moment he didn't care. He wasn't ready to let Sara go.  
  
She looked at him with surprise. "What about work?"  
  
"What about work?" He countered. "I still have some vacation time stored up."  
  
Sara let out a soft chuckle. "Are you going to bother letting anyone know where you're going?"  
  
Nick was pleased that she hadn't refused his offer. "Like I said, the official word was that my flight was delayed."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?" Nick had the beginnings of a smile on his face.  
  
"Grissom could fire you." She was completely serious, but at the same time she welcomed his company.  
  
"Well I just happen to know someone who is heading up this new lab in Seattle. If I get fired, maybe I can convince her to give me a job." An impish grin danced across his face.  
  
She smiled at him, grateful for the sincerity of his friendship. "Well then, I guess you'd better go home and pack. I want to get an early start." 


	2. Chapter 2

As Nick repacked the bag he'd just stowed away after returning from Dallas, his thoughts turned to what he was about to do. He was sure that if Grissom knew where he was going he'd be angry, and there was always the risk that he could get fired, but he decided that it was a risk that he was willing to take. He needed to spend time with Sara before she was out of his day to day life, and for whatever reason, he was ready to stake his career on it.

He had just zipped the bag up when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and let out a deep breath before he answered the call. "Stokes."  
  
"Nick, man, Grissom is on the warpath. Just how long is this flight of yours going to be delayed?" Warrick sounded like he could use a little buffer between him and Grissom.  
  
"A few days at least." Nick replied, wincing as he prepared for Warrick's reaction.  
  
"Excuse me." Warrick sounded dumbfounded.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "Sara's moving to Seattle and I'm going to drive up there with her."  
  
"Damn." Warrick was quiet for a moment. "What are you going to tell Grissom?"  
  
Nick considered that for a moment because he just wasn't sure. He didn't want to tell Grissom where he was going in case Sara didn't want him to know. "He thinks I'm still in Dallas, right?"  
  
"Yeah." Warrick answered him.  
  
"Well, let's just let him keep on assuming that and I just call him and let him know I need a few more days off." Nick reasoned that it was his best shot at not giving away what he was doing.  
  
"So you plan on lying." Warrick sounded frustrated.  
  
"I'm just not giving him any more information than he asks for; the conclusion he makes is his own. If he finds out after the fact I guess I'll just have to deal with the consequences." Nick continued.  
  
"Good luck." Warrick's tone changed. "I've got to go, I'm at a scene."  
  
The line went dead and Nick shook his head and replaced the phone on his belt. He gathered a few more things and then headed back out to his SUV to return to Sara's. He had told her that he was going to help her finish packing things up so everything would be ready when the movers arrived in the morning. As he stowed his bag in the backseat, his phone rang again. He cursed under his breath as he saw who was calling. "Stokes."  
  
"Nick, when do you think you'll be able to catch a flight back to Vegas?" Grissom sounded typically Grissom, dispensing with all formalities.  
  
"Uh, Gris, I need to talk to you about that." Nick began tentatively.  
  
"We're talking." Grissom stated the obvious, sounding impatient because he was at a scene.  
  
"I need a few more days off." Nick hoped he sounded calmer than he felt.  
  
"Nick, I really can't extend your vacation right now, we're a CSI short as it is." Grissom sounded on the verge of annoyed.  
  
"Yeah, Warrick told me about Sara." Nick informed him.  
  
"So when should we expect you here? Dallas is only a two hour flight away." Grissom reasoned that Nick should be able to make it there by the middle of shift if he got a flight fairly soon.  
  
"I'm sorry, Gris, but I need the time off. Something's come up that I need to take care of and it can't wait." Nick knew he needed to convince Grissom to let him have the time off if he expected to have a job when he got back.  
  
"Is your family ok?" Grissom sounded immediately concerned.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath. "No, it's nothing like that; they're fine."  
  
"Can't someone else in your family take care of whatever this is?" Grissom was trying to flush out all possibilities before giving his approval.  
  
"No, it's something I have to take care of. I just need a few more days." Nick sincerely hoped that no one outside of Catherine and Warrick had seen him in the lab earlier that night, otherwise if Grissom found out he had already returned from Dallas there would be hell to pay later.  
  
Grissom let out a resigned sigh. "How many days are we talking about here?"  
  
Nick couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Three or four tops." He was sure that he and Sara would be able to get to Seattle in that amount of time.  
  
"Ok, but you'll catch the first flight back after you wrap up whatever it is." It wasn't really a question.  
  
"Yeah." Nick felt relief washing over him and he realized he was going to have to try and book a flight back to Vegas before he and Sara left in the morning. The line went dead as Nick realized Grissom had ended the call. He shook his head in disbelief that he'd gotten Grissom to give him the time off without having to tell him exactly why he needed it.  
  
A short time later, Nick knocked on Sara's door. She smiled at him as she opened the door. "That didn't take too long."  
  
"I told you I'd help you finish up here." He glanced around and realized that there wasn't much left to pack.  
  
She studied him for a moment and realized that his demeanor was a bit more relaxed than it had been earlier. "You talked to Grissom didn't you?"  
  
He looked at her a bit surprised that she figured it out so easily and let out a soft chuckle. "I did. Right now he thinks I'm still in Dallas and I didn't bother to correct him."  
  
Sara raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "He doesn't know you're going with me to Seattle?"  
  
Nick looked at her and smirked. "I didn't know if he knew you were going to Seattle, and I didn't want to volunteer the information if you didn't want him to know."  
  
The corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "Thanks. He doesn't, and I don't." She glanced at the floor for a moment before looking back at him. "Thanks for doing this for me, Nick."  
  
He grinned at her and stepped over and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, you can't just move away and not let me even say goodbye."  
  
For the first time, it hit Sara just what she was moving away from. She had made some good friendships in the four years that she'd lived in Vegas, Nick had been one of the first to really make her feel welcome, and as she stood there, his arms wrapped around her possessively, she felt emotion choking her throat and all of the frustration that she'd allowed to build up began to spill out as tears began sliding down her cheeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Nick smiled at Sara as he let her out of his embrace. "It's gonna be ok, Sar."  
  
She wiped at her tear streaked face, sniffling a bit self consciously. "I just didn't realize until now how hard it was going to be to leave."  
  
An impish smile flitted across Nick's face. "I could still get fired."  
  
For whatever reason that statement made Sara laugh.  
  
He laughed right along with her, knowing full well that it was true. If Grissom found out that he had been selectively truthful, he would get fired. As he stood there watching his friend laugh, her entire face lighting up, he found that he didn't care what Grissom did. At the moment, she was more important to him than the state of his career in Vegas.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sara's laughter started to taper off. "It's not really that funny." She furrowed her brow as she looked at him. "I'd hate for you to get fired over this."  
  
He tilted his head slightly, reaching over and tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. "I'm not really all that worried. If I get fired, I get fired. That stupid promotion didn't pan out anyway."  
  
Sara looked at him for a minute, her mouth slightly agape before dissolving into another fit of laughter, finally having to go sit down on the couch so that she didn't fall over.  
  
As Nick sat down next to her, a wide grin on his face, shaking his head in amusement at her, he thought about all the times that they had worked cases side by side, somehow knowing what the other was thinking, and finishing each other's sentences. His expression faltered as he realized how much he was going to miss her.  
  
Sara noticed the change in his facial expression and her laughter subsided as she scooted over and molded herself against his side, slipping her arms around his waist. "I'm going to miss you, Nicky."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm going to miss you too, Sar." They just sat like that for a long time, neither one of them saying a word. Nick's thoughts drifted to the other people they worked with and how each one of them had made a significant impact on his life. He knew that Sara had changed the entire chemistry of the lab when she'd arrived in Vegas four years before. She added a certain amount of spunk to the team that was lacking before, giving him a little friendly competition. Over the last year though, she had become more withdrawn from everyone but Nick as she tried to distance herself and her feelings from Grissom. Nick had become more protective of her and as they'd worked more and more cases together, they had gotten especially close.  
  
Sara pushed away and looked up at him. "Hey, we still have a few days." Her lips curved up into a brave smile. "I'm not saying goodbye to you yet."  
  
He let out a soft chuckle. "Fair enough."  
  
She stood up and gestured towards her kitchen. "I just have a few more things to pack up." She pointed at a roll of packing tape and glanced at Nick with a smirk. "Wanna grab that tape and help me seal these boxes up?"  
  
He grinned and they began to seal and label each box, finally collapsing back onto the couch several hours later. Nick glanced over at her smiling. "What time do you want to hit the road?"  
  
She furrowed her brow and glanced at where the clock used to be on the wall and then at her watch before answering him. "I guess as soon as the movers get here, we can take off." She studied him for a moment. "We're going to have to swing by your house on the way out of town."  
  
He looked at her quizzically. "Why? I brought my bag."  
  
She smirked. "So you plan on leaving your rig here then?"  
  
He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "I should probably leave it at the airport, which reminds me that we need to figure out how long it's going to take us to get up there so I can buy a plane ticket to come back."  
  
Disappointment momentarily flickered across Sara's face, but then she steeled herself and smiled. "Well, my laptop is one thing I didn't pack." She quickly had it set up on the coffee table as she and Nick looked at the available flights.  
  
"Alaska Airlines looks like a good bet at $84 one way." Nick gestured towards the screen. "And if I take that flight I can be back just before shift starts."  
  
Sara nodded, not really saying anything as the reality of the situation settled in a little further.  
  
Nick watched her for a moment and then an idea formed in his mind. "Of course, I could just get an open ended roundtrip ticket."  
  
She felt a smile form as she looked at him. "Roundtrip."  
  
He nodded. "Just because you're moving doesn't mean that I'm gonna let you out of my life, Sidle."  
  
Sara furrowed her brow. "But then you'd have to get another one way ticket."  
  
His expression was serious, but he was still smiling. "Or I could just keep buying roundtrip tickets. I hear Seattle isn't all that bad. Besides, a good friend of mine lives there."  
  
She looked at him with a curious expression. "You know someone who lives in Seattle?" She wondered why he hadn't mentioned this when she told him where she was moving.  
  
He couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "You're priceless, you know that don't you?"  
  
She looked a bit embarrassed and started to laugh. "What? I didn't know you knew someone who lived in Seattle."  
  
He grinned at her and nudged her arm with his elbow. "I know you."  
  
The realization dawned on her and she started to giggle. "I must be tired if I didn't pick up on that."  
  
Nick reached over and patted her on the leg. "Let me just buy a ticket and then you need to get some sleep."  
  
"Crap." Sara crossed her arms over her chest and smirked.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow at her as continued to check the flights.  
  
"I packed everything. I didn't think about needing a place to sleep." She shook her head in amusement at her oversight.  
  
Nick chuckled softly and logged off of her computer. "Ok, I have an idea then." He glanced over at her and smirked. "We'll go to my house and crash, and I can print out my E-ticket since your printer is somewhere in all of these boxes." He made a sweeping gesture with his hand.  
  
She smiled softly. "Ok then, but I get your couch." She didn't want to put him out of his own bed and knew that being the consummate gentleman he was that he'd offer.  
  
He shook his head. "No couch for you. That sofa in my spare room folds out into a real bed. You can have mine, and I'll sleep in there."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "I'll sleep in there."  
  
He furrowed his brow, knowing better than to argue too much with Sara when her mind was set on something. "What time should we be back here for the movers?"  
  
"Seven." Sara concluded with a yawn.  
  
He smiled at her. "Alright then, let's get out of here." And with that they stood up and made their way out to her parking lot to head to Nick's. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sara had gotten a few good hours of sleep in Nick's guest room and decided to get up even though the alarm clock she'd set hadn't gone off yet. She wanted to get an early start so that they could head back over to her apartment before the movers showed up. She was anxious to get on the road and put Las Vegas behind her.  
  
After she'd showered and dressed she softly knocked on Nick's bedroom door. When she didn't get a response, she slowly opened the door and poked her head in, surprised that he was still sound asleep since it was now past the time they agreed they'd both get up. A smile flickered across her face as she noticed the way he lay on his stomach and hugged his pillow. She knew she couldn't stand there all day and stare at him, as tempting as she found that thought at the moment since he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Nick."  
  
He began to stir and mumbled something unintelligible into his pillow that Sara could swear sounded something like 'five more minutes'.  
  
"Nick, get up, we need to get going." Sara spoke a little louder and had to restrain a chuckle as she watched him open one eye and then close it again before rolling onto his back.  
  
He stretched on his back for a moment before propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her. "What time is it?" His voice was a bit groggy and he had stubble on his chin.  
  
She smirked. "Time to get up."  
  
He rolled his eyes at her and flopped back onto the bed, letting out a yawn and running his fingers through his hair. "Ok."  
  
She deadpanned. "I hardly call that getting up."  
  
He let out a soft chuckle and closed his eyes again. "I'm getting up."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes and glanced around the room. His taste was decidedly masculine and as she noticed his bedside table she smirked. "Did you even set your alarm clock?"  
  
He lifted his head and opened his eyes, noting her smirk. "Yes."  
  
She crossed her arms in front of herself and tilted her head slightly. "Then why didn't it go off?" Amusement danced across her face.  
  
He looked at her a bit sheepishly. "I might have forgotten to wind it up." The fact that he hadn't used his alarm clock in over a year was something he chose not to mention, he had always managed to get to work on time, albeit just barely at times, and he had figured that he would wake up in plenty of time to get to Sara's and meet the movers.  
  
She stepped closer to the bed. "You know, they have clocks now that actually plug into the wall and use electricity."  
  
He furrowed his brow and pursed his lips at her implication. "Hey, I like my alarm clock."  
  
She began to snicker. "Because you don't use it."  
  
He feigned a protest and tried to stifle a smile. "Not all of us have an internal clock that's more accurate than a Swiss movement."  
  
Sara raised a single eyebrow at him and grabbed the bottom of the covers on his bed and gave a good swift yank, pulling them off. Shock registered on her face for a moment as she realized that Nick was scrambling to cover himself up, having apparently slept commando. She turned around and there was a squeak in her voice. "Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize." She swallowed hard, not moving as she heard a rustling sound.  
  
Nick let out a chuckle from behind her. "I'm decent now." He had pulled on a pair of boxers that he had fished out of his laundry hamper.  
  
She turned around, her face varying shades of red. "I'm sorry."  
  
He smirked at her with one eyebrow raised. "If I'd known you were going to come in here and pull the blankets off my bed to wake me up, I would have slept in something from the laundry. All the rest of my clean clothes were packed except for what I was going to wear today."  
  
Sara tried to recover some of her composure. "So, you don't sleep like this all the time then?"  
  
Nick was amused by the line of conversation considering that they were still standing near the foot of his bed. "Not all the time." An impish smile spread across his face. "Just when I have company."  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up and her mouth went slightly agape as she fumbled for something to say.  
  
He chuckled. "I'm kidding, Sara. I just didn't have any other clean clothes since I haven't had time to do laundry since I got back from Dallas."  
  
Sara looked at him awkwardly for a moment and then pursed her lips together to keep an embarrassed smile from taking over her face. She gestured towards the door. "I'll just go out there and make some coffee or something."  
  
He grinned at her as she turned and walked out of his bedroom, closing the door behind her. As embarrassing as it was to have her expose him like that, her embarrassment far eclipsed his own. He wandered into the kitchen a short time later, freshly showered and fully clothed to find Sara sipping a cup of coffee.  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I really am sorry about that." Even now her cheeks tinged a little pink.  
  
He smirked and walked over and grabbed a cup and poured himself some coffee. "Sara, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened." He glanced over and smiled at her. "Besides, it's not everyday that I can get a beautiful woman to blush."  
  
She held her coffee cup up to her lips to hide the smile spreading across her face. "So, you're sure you want to drive with me to Seattle?"  
  
He nodded setting the pot back in the coffee maker. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't." He smiled. "Look, I know you're concerned that Grissom is going to be pissed off at me for not telling him where I'm going, but he was already pissed that I wasn't back last night. A few more days isn't going to change that. I think he's just upset that you quit." He studied her for a few moments.  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "Somehow I doubt that. He's hardly noticed that I exist for the last year and a half and while I've moved on from my ridiculous romantic preoccupation with him, he seems intent on killing my career."  
  
"I wish you weren't leaving." Nick's expression was tinged with sadness. "I'm going to miss you a lot."  
  
She smiled at him, putting on a brave face as she felt tears threatening. "Hey, we are not saying goodbye until you get on that plane in Seattle."  
  
He grinned. "Well, then we'd better get a move on before those movers get to your apartment."  
  
Sara took the last sip of her coffee and smirked. "Do you have any travel mugs?"  
  
He looked at her quizzically. "Yeah."  
  
"Good, because if we don't take that coffee, it's going to be growing things by the time you get back." She gestured towards the coffee maker.  
  
Nick let out a soft chuckle. "Good point."  
  
They pulled out a couple of travel mugs and poured the rest of the coffee in them before washing out the used cups and the coffee pot.  
  
A short time later, they stood in the middle of Sara's living room, watching as the movers began loading box after box into the moving van. Nick noticed the conflicted emotions on Sara's face and gently touched her arm, causing her to glance up at him. "Do you want to get on the road? Your apartment manager did say he'd take care of the cleanup."  
  
Sara nodded, as sad smile on her face. "Next stop, Tamales Bay." 


	5. Chapter 5

"How long of a drive did you say it was to your parents?" Nick glanced over at Sara as she drove. They had been on the road for about three hours and he was looking forward to stretching his legs again soon.  
  
She smiled at him, the gap in her front teeth evident. "I told you that I could move some of the stuff in the backseat so you'd be able to move the seat a little further back." Nick's knees were dangerously close to the dashboard.  
  
He smirked. "I'm good right now. I was just curious how long it would take us to get there, that's all."  
  
She chuckled softly. "About five or six more hours, especially if we keep stopping every half hour."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, I'm not the one that had to use the bathroom just after we left the Vegas city limits."  
  
She smirked. "It was the coffee's fault."  
  
He tried to swallow a grin. "You did find the biggest mug in my cupboard you know."  
  
Her face held a slightly pouty expression. "There was a lot of coffee in that pot."  
  
He laughed. "And you drank the entire thing."  
  
In spite of herself, Sara started to laugh. A few moments later their laughter subsided and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, just watching the passing scenery. Sara was deep in thought about all the changes her life was going through that she didn't notice that she had let out an audible sigh.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Nick looked at her curiously.  
  
She had a quizzical expression. "Huh?"  
  
"That was some heavy sigh. Do you want to talk about it?" He could tell that although she felt compelled to leave Vegas that her heart wasn't really in it.  
  
She glanced over at him and smiled a bit sadly. "It just seems really strange to be leaving. When I moved here I figured that I'd put down some roots and stay, but it hasn't turned out that way. I just ended up married to my job."  
  
Testing the waters, Nick tossed out a comment. "You mean as opposed to married to your boss."  
  
Sara winced slightly and then nodded as she glanced at him again. "You know, you're the only person I know that can get by with asking me questions like that."  
  
He grinned and leaned his head back on the seat. "That's good to know."  
  
"Don't press your luck." She narrowed her eyes, trying to be stern.  
  
He chuckled. "You know he was a big fool not to fall for you."  
  
A warm smile spread across her face as she regarded his words. "Yeah, he was. It doesn't matter any more though. It's too late for him. Even if he chased me halfway across the country, I just don't want to deal with him anymore, I'm over that."  
  
Nick grinned. "Yeah, you are, and I'm glad." He reached over and patted her leg. "You deserve to be treated better than that by someone who knows what they want."  
  
Sara didn't say anything for a moment, she seemed to be concentrating on the road, but her mind was on the fact that Nick's hand still rested on her thigh. She furrowed her brow as she considered why Nick Stokes would risk his career to drive with her to Seattle. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure that she knew, even though it wasn't clear if he did. A smile spread across her face and she glanced over at him; he didn't even seem to be aware that his hand was still on her leg as he looked out the window. She cleared her throat and put her hand on top of his, giving it a squeeze. "Hey."  
  
He glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Thanks for coming with me." Her smile was sincere, she really was glad that he'd come. She knew that the journey of physically leaving Vegas was the easy part, leaving Vegas emotionally was a lot harder.  
  
He smiled softly at her in return, not really thinking before he spoke. "I'd do just about anything for you, Sara." He turned his hand over and gathered hers within it's grasp.  
  
Sara wasn't exactly sure what to make of his words, but the fact the he still held onto her hand spoke volumes to her. "I know you would."  
  
Neither one of them said anything for a quite awhile. Nick just kept holding her hand while he looked out the window, his thumb occasionally caressing the back of it.  
  
Sara spotted a rest area ahead and reluctantly pulled her hand from Nick's.  
  
He glanced over at her curiously and then noticed her pointing to the sign. He smirked. "You haven't had coffee for hours."  
  
She smirked back at him. "I thought maybe you might want to unfold your legs."  
  
He chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I think the circulation is a little restricted." He winced as he shifted his weight. "I think my right leg is asleep."  
  
"I told you I could rearrange that stuff." She reached over and patted his leg as she pulled off of the freeway.  
  
He grinned at her, his thoughts drifting to the rest of the journey ahead and what was in store for him when Grissom found out where he'd gone. As much as being fired was a possibility, he realized that he truly wasn't worried about it. Even if he lost his job in Vegas, he'd never regret going with Sara to Seattle.  
  
"Are you coming?" Sara tilted her head slightly as she reached for the door handle. She'd watched Nick over the last couple of seconds as she'd parked the car and he seemed to be in a bit of a daze.  
  
He shook himself out of his reverie and looked at her a bit sheepishly. "Yeah." As soon as he stood up, he leaned against the car and let out a groan.  
  
"Are you ok?" Sara looked at him with concern as she pulled herself out of the car.  
  
He chuckled. "My leg's asleep. I just need to do a couple of laps around the car to get the circulation going again." He leaned his weight against the car and tested his right foot. "That is if I can even walk."  
  
A smug smile spread across her face. "So, would you like me to move that stuff in the backseat?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Where are you going to put it? It's pretty full back there."  
  
She crossed her arms and shook her head as she made her way around to his side of the car.  
  
Nick winced again. "Damn. I hate this part when it starts to feel prickly."  
  
Sara giggled.  
  
Nick looked at her and noticed her amusement. "What?"  
  
"You." She wasn't sure why, but at that moment he looked adorably cute.  
  
He feigned a hurt expression. "Oh, so you enjoy laughing at other people's pain, huh?"  
  
She giggled again and walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "No, just yours."  
  
He looked at her a bit incredulously, but she simply flipped the passenger seat forward and began to rearrange the things that had kept him from moving the seat a bit further back. In a matter of a few minutes, she had finished and she pushed the passenger seat back as far as it would go, giving him ample leg room. As she straightened up, Nick spoke. "So, did you tell your parents what time to expect us?"  
  
She furrowed her brow and shook her head. "I haven't talked to them in a couple of days, but they'll be fine with whatever time we get there."  
  
Nick looked at her with a bit a confusion. "So they don't know that I'm coming then?"  
  
She looked at him as is she didn't see why that would be a problem. "No, but it's no big deal. They run a bed and breakfast. There's always room." 


	6. Chapter 6

The expression on Gil Grissom's face was one of utter shock as he hung up the phone. The news he'd just received was hard enough, but to find out the way he did hurt. He had been sitting there staring off into space, when Catherine entered his line of sight as she stepped into his office.

Concern was evident on her face. "Gil, what's wrong?" She stood directly in front of his desk, forgetting the reason that she'd come in there in the first place.  
  
He looked at her, blankly at first, but then as her words penetrated the fog that surrounded his mind, hurt twinged at his eyes. "Nick and Sara."  
  
Catherine looked confused. She knew from Warrick that Nick had decided to drive to Seattle with Sara, but they had both agreed to keep it from Grissom; however, she didn't think that Grissom finding that out would cause the reaction she was seeing before her. "What about Nick and Sara?"  
  
Emotion caught in his throat. "There's been an accident, just south of San Francisco." His expression was pained.  
  
Catherine felt tears stinging her eyes as she prepared herself for the worst. "Gil." Her tone was measured.  
  
"A motorcycle crossed the centerline and hit them head on. They're both at the hospital. The California Highway Patrol called me because of Nick's LVPD ID card in his wallet." The fact that Nick had given him the impression that he was still in Dallas sat at the back of his mind as he considered what to do.  
  
Catherine's mouth opened, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.  
  
Grissom could read Catherine's unspoken question. "They're both in surgery. I don't know how serious it is at this point."  
  
Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. "But they'll be ok." Her eyes pleaded with him to give her some reassurance.  
  
He paused for a moment, not sure of his own words. "I don't know, Catherine. I hope so."  
  
"Did you call Nick's family?" Catherine looked worried.  
  
Grissom shook his head and then steeled himself. "I thought he was in Dallas." He studied Catherine for a moment. "What was he doing in California with Sara?" He could tell that she knew more than she was letting on.  
  
Catherine knew that there was no way getting around the truth so she just cut to the chase and looked him in the eye. "Sara accepted a position at a new branch of the Washington State crime lab up in Seattle. Nick was driving up there with her to keep her company."  
  
Grissom winced a little. "Why couldn't he have just told me that?" He knew that his two younger CSIs were close, he just hadn't realized how close.  
  
Catherine looked at him skeptically. "Gil, you've been a bear to be around the last couple of days. Do you really think you would have given him time off if he'd told you why? Besides, Sara really didn't want you to know where she was going."  
  
He looked at her blankly and then as realization flowed over him he just nodded. "Sorry."  
  
She knew that this probably wasn't the time or place for this conversation, but she also knew that right now he'd probably be most honest. "What did you do to make Sara leave?"  
  
He looked confused. "I don't know. She just said that she didn't feel like her career was going anywhere here in Vegas." He knew that there was more to it, but that was what she had said in the letter.  
  
"You been giving her crap cases for months and you know it." Catherine explained, trying to be a blunt as possible.  
  
Grissom rubbed his temples, trying to stave off a migraine he knew was coming on. "I just didn't want to give her the wrong impression."  
  
Catherine scoffed. "Gil, she's a professional. Give her a little credit."  
  
"It's too late. Isn't it?" He had a very vulnerable expression on his face as he looked at Catherine.  
  
Catherine raised a single eyebrow. "Are we talking personally or professionally?"  
  
He furrowed his brow, annoyed at the question. "Catherine."  
  
She pursed her lips together and leaned forward slightly. "Because I think it's too late for you if you want a romantic relationship with her, but it might not be too late if you want to try and convince her to come back to work."  
  
Grissom looked confused, and then winced as he remembered the phone call he'd had just a few moments ago. "We don't even know if she's ok."  
  
"She's strong and so is Nick." A smile flickered across Catherine's face. "He was willing to risk his entire career to drive up there with her."  
  
Understanding registered on Grissom's face. "I haven't filed Sara's paperwork with human resources. I was hoping she'd change her mind. Officially she's on vacation." He knew he had to do something, at the very least he needed to say goodbye.  
  
Catherine nodded, unable to keep from smiling, and then as her thoughts again turned to the news she'd received she looked Grissom in the eye. "When are we going to know something more about their conditions?" She just didn't want to believe that their injuries could claim their lives.  
  
"Would you call Nick's family?" Grissom jotted a few things down on a piece of paper and then handed it to her.  
  
Catherine nodded. "Yeah." She glanced at the paper with the hospital information on it.  
  
"And can you take shift? I'm going to pull a few folks from days to cover." Grissom continued as a plan formed in his mind.  
  
Catherine looked confused. "What are you going to do?"  
  
He looked at her with a serious expression. "I'm going to San Francisco to be there when Nick and Sara get out of surgery, and to tell Sara what an ass I've been and see if I can get her and Nicky to come back."  
  
Catherine carefully considered her words before she spoke. "Gil, do you think that's a good idea?'  
  
Grissom looked at her with determination. "Catherine, you said it once yourself. This team is like a family and I need to make sure their ok." His voice wavered for a brief moment and then he steeled himself. "They have to be ok."  
  
Catherine was a bit take aback by the emotion in Grissom's voice. He usually kept himself so controlled that she knew the news of Nick and Sara's accident had hit him deeply. She forced her tears back and put a smile on her face. "They'll be ok. Do you want a ride to the airport?"


	7. Chapter 7

It seemed to Grissom that the flight was both the longest and shortest one he'd ever been on. He'd taken the next available flight out of Las Vegas bound for San Francisco. Without any further knowledge of Nick and Sara's conditions, he just stared out the window of the 737, brow furrowed as he hoped for the best but prepared himself for the worst. He pushed aside thoughts of how Nick had misled him about where he was and why he needed the extra time off and concentrated instead on what he would tell Nick's family if things didn't turn out right. The highway patrol and the hospital had not been able to get in touch with Nick's family and so had called Grissom instead. He tried to formulate what he would say to Sara to try and convince her to return to Vegas and how he would live with the regret of their diminished friendship if she wasn't ok.  
  
Before Grissom could fully process that he was on the ground, he was getting a rental car and heading towards San Francisco General Hospital, the only level II trauma center in the Bay area. Heading immediately for the ER he went directly to the reception area and began firing off questions.  
  
"I'm looking for Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes. They came in as victims of a car accident. They were supposed to be in surgery." Grissom looked worried.  
  
As calmly as possible the receptionist picked up the phone and relayed the information Grissom had given her. After replacing the handset, she looked up at him and gestured down the hallway. "Go down that hall, turn left and take the elevator to the fourth floor. The nurses up there can help you."  
  
Grissom barely nodded as he followed her instructions. The elevator seemed to move so slowly that he was sure that he could have taken the stairs faster. When it opened, he burst out and walked directly up to the nurse's stations. "Nick Stokes? Sara Sidle?"  
  
A nurse who appeared to be used to frazzled people asking her questions raised a single eyebrow. "And you are?"  
  
Grissom was immediately annoyed. "Gil Grissom. Las Vegas Crime Lab. I got a call."  
  
She nodded and then pointed toward a row of chairs in a waiting room. "Have a seat and someone will be with you in a few minutes."  
  
Grissom was about to argue, but then realized that he needed to sit down. The weight of his worry was taking its toll on him. He sat down in an orange vinyl covered chair and glanced up at the flickering images on a TV that had the sound off. His brows were deeply knit together and he rested his chin on his laced fingers, his elbows on his knees.  
  
A kind voice interrupted Grissom's thoughts. "Mr. Grissom?"  
  
Grissom swallowed hard and stood up. "How, how are they? Nick? Sara?"  
  
The doctor, a man about Grissom's age, dressed in scrubs stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Dr. Franklin."  
  
Grissom wasn't interested in formalities, but he extended his hand anyway.  
  
The doctor gave Grissom an encouraging smile. "Mr. Stokes just got out of surgery. Fortunately, he only suffered a ruptured spleen and a couple of bruised ribs. It could have been far worse."  
  
Grissom felt a wave of relief wash over him, but lack of information about Sara troubled him deeply.  
  
The doctor sensed Grissom's trepidation. "If you'll come with me, you can see Ms. Sidle."  
  
The weight that had been in Grissom's shoulders since he'd first heard the news, began to lift measurably. "She's ok?" His expression implored the doctor as he followed him down the hallway.  
  
Dr. Franklin stopped in front of a room and gestured. "I'll let you see for yourself." He stepped into the room with Grissom in tow. "Ms. Sidle, you have a visitor."  
  
Sara glanced up and surprise registered on her face as she noticed Grissom. "Hi."  
  
"Hi." Grissom's tone was tentative as he stepped towards her bed. "I heard you and Nick were in an accident." The doctor stepped out of the room and left them alone.  
  
"Apparently." She managed to quip and then winced as her ribs reminded her that they were sore.  
  
Grissom noted the cast on her arm. "What happened?" He studied her, wanting to say so much, yet not sure what was appropriate.  
  
She shook her head. "I'm not completely sure. One minute Nick and I were singing along to some stupid song on the radio and the next I was waking up in the ER feeling like hell."  
  
Grissom took a seat in the chair next to her bed. "Your arm?"  
  
She glanced down at the cast. "Compound fracture from the airbag. Couple of pins and I'm good to go, but since they think I've got a concussion they won't let me out." She felt emotion welling in her throat. "Not that I care right now." She began to sniffle. "I just want Nick to be ok." She felt a sob choke her throat.  
  
Grissom reached over and put his hand on her arm in a reassuring gesture. "The doctor told me he just got out of surgery. He's going to be fine, Sara."  
  
Sara couldn't stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. "I don't know if I could live with myself if something happened to him."  
  
The depth of her confession gave Grissom just one more piece of information to solidify in his mind that his two young CSIs were closer than he'd thought before he'd gotten that call. "Sara, he's going to be fine. Nicky's tough." His expression implored her to believe him.  
  
Sara nodded, her chin quivering slightly. At the moment, though Grissom wasn't who she had expected to walk through that door, she was glad he was there. She had missed his friendship and right now she really needed it, especially until she could see with her own eyes that Nick was indeed going to be ok.  
  
"Do you need anything?" Grissom asked gently. "Do you want me to call anyone?"  
  
She considered his words for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, do you think you could call my parents? We were supposed to spend the night there and I think they might be getting worried. I called them an hour or so before the crash, but it didn't occur to me until now that they don't know that I'm here."  
  
Grissom nodded and then stood, looking at her for a moment and then smiling. "Sara, I'm really glad you're ok. I was really worried."  
  
"Thanks." Sara looked at him, wondering how less than a few days ago his behavior had been the straw that broke the camel's back and made her quit her job and leave Vegas and now, here he was, being the friend she needed. On some level she half expected that she would have renewed feelings for him, but for the first time she realized that she really was over him and she really had moved on. Now she just hoped that who she'd moved on to would be ok.  
  
Grissom turned and stepped out of the room, letting out a sigh of relief that Sara was ok. He moved towards the waiting room to make a few phone calls. First he'd call Sara's parents, then Nick's and then finally he'd call Catherine so that she and Warrick and the rest of the lab would know that Nick and Sara would be ok. 


	8. Chapter 8

Sara didn't really notice when Grissom returned to her hospital room. She was deep in thought and staring at the cast on her arm.  
  
Grissom looked at her with concern. "Sara?" His voice was soft, trying not to be intrusive.  
  
She glanced up and sniffled, pasting what she hoped would pass for a smile on her face. "Hey, did you get a hold of them?"  
  
He nodded as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed. "They're on their way." He studied her for a moment and then decided that he might as well get the conversation he'd been dreading over with. "Sara, I'm not very good with people."  
  
For some reason, Sara found the statement funny. "You came all the way from Vegas to tell me something I already know?"  
  
Grissom smirked at her, shaking his head. "No, I came because I needed to know if you and Nick were ok."  
  
Of all the things she expected him to say, that was not one of them. His comment touched her deeply. "Thank you." She glanced back at her cast.  
  
Grissom let out a deep breath and continued. "I wish you hadn't quit, Sara."  
  
She furrowed her brow. "But I did. I have a new job." She scowled in frustration. "That is if I can ever get up there."  
  
Grissom pursed his lips at her expression. "I'm sorry that I didn't treat you as an equal professionally."  
  
She looked at him in disbelief. "Catherine told you to say that, didn't she?"  
  
Grissom was a bit taken aback, but nodded. "It doesn't change the fact that she's right. I haven't been treating you the way I treat her or Warrick or Nick."  
  
"Or Greg." Sara added with a bit of snort.  
  
Grissom considered that for a moment and then nodded, speaking softly. "Or Greg."  
  
She regarded him for a moment. "Don't try and tell me that the lab needs me, because the lab will be just fine without me." She was dangerously close to tears and the last thing she wanted was to have him tell her the same words that he'd used over and over again to keep her from leaving.  
  
"You're right." Grissom admitted, regret edging his voice.  
  
She looked at him surprised by his admission.  
  
He continued, looking directly at her. "But I suspect that Nick needs you, and the rest of us will miss you."  
  
Sara's eyes widened and then she blinked a few times before she said anything more. "Oh."  
  
Grissom reached over and put his hand on her arm. "Sara, I haven't filed your paperwork with human resources yet. I was hoping that you might consider changing your mind. Technically I have you on vacation."  
  
She furrowed her brow and looked at him in confusion. "But I quit."  
  
"I know. I was hoping you would reconsider." Grissom looked at her earnestly.  
  
Sara felt a myriad of emotions. "I don't know if I can, Grissom. I'm tired of getting assigned the shit cases because you think I'm going to take something the wrong way."  
  
"I'm sorry if I've made you feel that way." Words that Catherine had spoken to him resounded in his mind. "I was unfair and I didn't treat you professionally."  
  
She could not help but note the sincerity in his voice. "Do you really mean that?"  
  
He nodded. "Sara, it was never my intent to make you quit. I just wasn't sure what to do about this and I behaved badly." He gestured between them, referring to the underlying tension between them stemming from the romantic feelings she'd had for him and his inability to know how to respond to them.  
  
Sara steeled herself. "It's too late for this, Grissom. I moved on a while ago, only you didn't seem to notice. I just wanted to be able to do my job."  
  
"I'm sorry." Regret was evident on his face. "I'm not sure what else to say, Sara."  
  
Sara sniffled. "Can you go find out when I can see Nick?"  
  
Grissom nodded, standing up to leave. "Sure." He knew that at the moment she needed to be alone and he didn't want to intrude.  
  
A half hour later, with a nurse in tow, Grissom entered Sara's room again.  
  
Sara glanced up as he entered. "Grissom."  
  
He gestured towards the nurse who was pushing a wheelchair. "Apparently, someone's awake and asking to see you."  
  
Sara's eyes widened. "Is he ok?" Her expression pleaded with him.  
  
Much the same way that the doctor had answered his question, he gestured towards the wheelchair. "Why don't you hop in and find out." There was something impish about his expression.  
  
With a little bit of effort to steady her arm and her sore ribs, the nurse helped Sara into the wheelchair. She was thankful that the nurse had brought her a robe to wear over her hospital gown so that she wouldn't be giving anyone a peep show.  
  
A few minutes later, the nurse wheeled Sara into Nick's room. A slow steady beep of a heart monitor sounded in the corner. Stopping at the edge of his bed, Sara studied his face for a long moment. His eyes were closed and he looked tired. She reached out and took his hand in hers, rubbing the back of it with her thumb.  
  
Nick's eyes slowly fluttered open and a smile began to spread across his face as he realized who it was that held his hand. "Sara." His voice was a bit raspy.  
  
She smiled at him, feeling tears slip down her cheeks. "Hey, you're ok."  
  
He gave her a tired grin. "You're ok." He let go of her hand long enough to reach over and brush the tears off of her face. "Don't cry."  
  
She sniffled. "I just wanted you to be ok."  
  
"I'm gonna be fine." He stroked her cheek with his fingers, looking at her earnestly. "How are you?" He looked at the cast on her arm, and his brows knit together in concern.  
  
"I'll be fine." She smiled through her tears that continued to slip down her cheeks. "I guess we aren't getting to Seattle anytime soon."  
  
He chuckled softly, wincing as he felt the stitches on his incision pulling. "I guess not."  
  
"What's wrong?" Sara looked at him with concern.  
  
He shook his head. "I think I'm gonna have to be a little careful about laughing until this heals."  
  
Sara took Nick's hand again, giving it a squeeze. "I'm just so glad that you're ok." Her voice was thick with emotion.  
  
He squeezed her hand in return and felt tears forming in his eyes. "Hey, I needed to ask you something."  
  
"What's that?" Sara replied, looking into his eyes and holding tightly to his hand.  
  
The hint of a smile twitched at the corners of Nick's mouth. "For someone who claims to hate country music so much, how in the world do you know the words to 'Beer for My Horses'?" 


	9. Chapter 9

Sara just sat there for a moment, her mouth gaping open as she looked at Nick. "Where the hell did that come from?" She was incredulous that after being in a car crash that required emergency surgery that the question he was dying to ask her was why she knew the lyrics to some stupid country song.  
  
He smiled softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "I don't know. I just couldn't get it off my mind." He was quiet for a moment and then his expression turned a bit more serious. "It just made me realize that even though I know a lot about you, there's a lot more that I don't know that I still want to know."  
  
Sara felt her chin quiver as tears slipped down her cheeks again, and she just nodded, not trusting her voice momentarily.  
  
"Don't cry, Sara." Nick furrowed his brow and reached over to brush the tears away again.  
  
She shook her head and looked into his eyes and finally managed to choke out her words. "I'm so glad you're ok. I didn't know what happened to you and I was so scared that I'd never see you again."  
  
"I'm here." There was a reassurance in his words that implied a great deal. "Shh, I'm here, Sar." He stroked her cheek with his fingertips.  
  
She nodded. "I know." She sniffled loudly. "I'm so glad you're ok."  
  
Nick looked at her as if he was trying to memorize every curve of her face. "I'm glad you're ok too." He was quiet for a few moments and then smiled. "So when do you think they'll let us out of here?"  
  
She smiled. "I'm pretty sure I'm getting out before you are." She sniffled again, her chin quivering. "This is all my fault." She choked on a sob.  
  
Nick cupped her face with his palm, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Sara, this is not your fault." He looked at her insistently. "Someone hit us, ok. This is not your fault."  
  
She had a pained expression in her eyes. "But if I hadn't quit my job in Vegas, we wouldn't have been driving on that road in the first place."  
  
"Sara, don't second guess, you did what you thought was right for you, I decided to come with you on my own free will. I wanted to be with you." He searched her eyes as he spoke. "Besides, the spleen is a spare part." He winked at her. "I really didn't like mine anyway."  
  
She laughed in spite of herself, wincing at the pressure it put on her ribs. "We are quite the pair, aren't we?"  
  
He nodded with a smile, reaching for her hand again. "Yeah, we are." There were so many things he wanted to say to her just then, but they'd already spent their few minutes together in an emotionally charged atmosphere and so he thought he'd save what was on his mind for another conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare her away by laying his cards out on the table too soon.  
  
The door creaked open and a nurse walked in followed by Grissom. The nurse softly cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to break up this reunion, but you both need to get some rest." A smile tugged the corners of her mouth upwards as she read the expressions on both of their faces.  
  
Sara looked at Nick, giving his hand a squeeze before letting go so that the nurse could take her back to her room. "I'll see you soon." There was a longing expression in her eyes.  
  
Nick felt emotion welling in his throat as he smiled. "You'd better."  
  
The nurse gave Grissom a stern glance. "Just a few minutes, Mr. Grissom." She pushed Sara towards the door.  
  
Nick watched her go until she disappeared into the hallway and then glanced over at Grissom who still stood there.  
  
"How are you feeling, Nicky?" Grissom looked genuinely concerned. He had been there when Nick woke up asking for Sara and he was just glad that the young man seemed to be doing well.  
  
Nick let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Like hell."  
  
"We finally got in touch with your parents, they're flying up in the morning." Grissom informed him.  
  
Nick opened his eyes and looked at Grissom. "Thanks." He knew he owed Grissom an explanation and he figured that he might as well get it over with. "Gris, I'm sorry."  
  
Grissom looked at him quizzically.  
  
"I shouldn't have let you think that I was still in Dallas." Nick felt his brows knit together. "It's just that when I found out that Sara had quit, I needed to see her. I just couldn't let her go without saying goodbye."  
  
Grissom smirked knowingly. "And you needed three or four days to do that?"  
  
Nick looked embarrassed, but nodded. "Yeah, I guess I did."  
  
Grissom studied him for a moment. "Does she know how you feel?"  
  
Nick reacted in surprise. He hadn't told anyone that he had feelings for her, but if he was being honest, especially in those last few moments with Sara, it was obvious that he did. He shook his head. "Not exactly."  
  
Grissom gave Nick a pained expression. "Don't wait too long. She won't wait forever." There was a sadness around the edges of his eyes that belied his own emotions. There was a part of him that thought that Sara would wait for him, would wait until he could figure out how to have a life with her and not lose his entire career because of it. He had spent far too much time calculating the risks that he'd never ventured to take what he considered the biggest risk, even if it meant that he'd miss out on the possibility of the greatest reward. Nick on the other hand, hadn't spent time rationalizing his feelings, he had just followed his heart, and his heart had followed Sara.  
  
Nick knew that this whole situation must be difficult for Grissom. He appreciated his candor in making it clear that he knew that any possibility for a romantic future between himself and Sara was over, and he was making it clear that he wouldn't stand in Nick's way if he chose to pursue her. Nick nodded in understanding. "I won't."  
  
Grissom nodded and then turned to leave, pausing at the door and turning back. "And, Nick, we'll be looking forward to having you back once you've had a chance to recover."  
  
Nick nodded, feeling emotion choking his throat as he watched Grissom go. He appreciated that the unspoken question about the future of his job was answered.  
  
As he lay there, he closed his eyes and his thoughts turned to Sara. He knew almost the instant he had suggested to her that he drive to Seattle with her that he wanted more than just friendship with her. Her leaving had served as the catalyst to make him admit to himself that he'd harbored feelings for her for a while. He suspected that she felt the same way about him, especially after their brief exchange a few moments before, but at the same time, he wanted to be careful that he pursued her slowly, so that neither one of them would look back and question if the accident had caused them to rush things. He felt sleep overtaking him and he willingly gave in, feeling at peace since he knew Sara was ok. 


	10. Chapter 10

Sara had just gotten settled back in her hospital room when she heard a soft tap at the door and someone entering. Glancing up, she saw Grissom. A tired smile spread across her face. "Hey."

Grissom hesitated a moment. "Sara, I just wanted to say goodbye. I'm flying out in the morning." He had a studied expression on his face.  
  
Sara's brow furrowed in confusion. "You're leaving?" As surprised as she was that he'd flown to San Francisco to see how she and Nick were after the crash, she was almost more surprised that he was already leaving.  
  
He nodded with a bit of a smirk. "The lab needs me."  
  
In spite of herself, Sara laughed. "You really need to come up with a better line."  
  
Grissom chuckled for a brief moment before his expression became a bit more serious. "Sara, I hope you know that your contribution to the lab has been invaluable. I wish there was something I could say or do that could change your mind about leaving."  
  
There was a bit of sadness in her eyes as she answered him. "I've already left, Grissom."  
  
Grissom considered her words for a moment, sadness and regret evident on his face. "I know that I have rarely said the right thing when it comes to you."  
  
Sara interrupted with a determined expression on her face. "Grissom, it is too late to have this conversation. I've moved on." Her heart had already begun to entwine itself with Nick's, even if they hadn't really talked about it, and she wanted to give it a chance.  
  
His lips twitched into a half smile. "I know that, but I feel like some sort of apology is in order for my behavior."  
  
Sara looked surprised. "Oh." She had become so used to Grissom evading the issues between them that his forthrightness took her by surprise.  
  
Grissom looked steadily at her. "Nick's a good man, Sara."  
  
She felt a smile on her lips as she nodded. "Yes, he is a good man, and a good friend."  
  
Grissom raised an eyebrow. "And perhaps a bit more." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
A faint blush crept into her cheeks and she pursed her lips together to keep from smiling. "I don't know." She glanced down at the cast on her arm.  
  
Grissom tone was gentle. "He needs you, Sara." It was evident to him that the two young CSIs shared a special bond.  
  
She wasn't sure where her words came from as she looked up at him. "I need him, Grissom." As she spoke, she realized that she really meant what she said.  
  
Grissom nodded. "I know." He knew that the pair had been good friends almost since she'd moved to Vegas. Over the last four years, they'd become especially close and it didn't surprise him at all that romantic feelings seemed to have developed between them. His only regret was that he had been unable to let his heart lead him the way Nick had allowed his to.  
  
Sara looked at Grissom's face. She knew that the situation was difficult for him. She had known deep down the moment when she'd told him that when he figured out what to do about his feelings that it would probably be too late, that it already was too late. "I'm sorry."  
  
Grissom shook his head. "Don't be." He looked unsure of how to say what was on his mind, but finally spoke again. "If you change your mind about going to Seattle, let me know. I know I speak for everyone when I say that you'll be missed."  
  
Sara didn't trust her words for a moment. When she did speak, there was a hitch in her voice. "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
Grissom gestured towards the door. "I should go. You need to get your rest and I'm sure when your parents get here, they'll want to be alone with you."  
  
He had turned to leave and just before he got to the door, Sara called after him. "Grissom."  
  
He stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder.  
  
She looked directly at him, unaware that she had tears streaming down her face. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."  
  
He just nodded and then turned and walked out of the room.  
  
As the door closed, Sara felt as if a chapter in her life had closed as well. She lay there for a long time thinking about how influential Gil Grissom had been in the direction her life had taken. It was because of him that she'd gone to Vegas in the first place to investigate Warrick. It was because of him that she'd stayed in Vegas when he'd offered her a job on the night shift. But it was also because of him that she'd gotten a broken heart, and it was because of his increasing indifference toward her and her career that she'd decided to leave.  
  
But something unexpected had happened along the way. She'd become close friends with Nick and somehow in the middle of everything else, she'd started to fall for him. Now that it seemed that there was a possibility of a future between them, she wasn't sure she wanted to go to Seattle, not if it meant that he couldn't be with her. For the first time in her life, she was considering following where her heart was leading instead of where her career was. Nick had come with her on this road trip because he'd said he wasn't ready to say goodbye, and now Sara wasn't sure she could say goodbye to him at all.  
  
She closed her eyes, now feeling the tears slipping down her cheeks. The decision she'd made so readily when she'd put her resignation on Grissom's desk, didn't feel so easy now. As difficult as it was, she was questioning her decision to take the job in Seattle. She knew that to change her mind, she'd be giving up an incredible career opportunity. She knew that if she returned to Vegas, that Grissom would still be Grissom and that despite his apology, she wasn't sure that anything would really change. But the one thing at that moment that she knew for sure was that she cared deeply for Nick Stokes and she couldn't imagine not having him in her day to day life. She was strangely thankful for the car crash that had broken her arm, because until it healed she had time to think about what she wanted to do.  
  
The door to her hospital room creaked again and she quickly wiped her tears away as her worried parents walked in.


	11. Chapter 11

"You might as well stop whining. You don't really have much of a choice. You're coming to Tamales Bay for a few days after you get out of the hospital." Sara smirked at Nick as she sat perched on the edge of his hospital bed. She had been discharged that morning and her broken arm was in a sling and she was dressed in street clothes that her parents had brought her.  
  
"Sara, I don't want to put anyone out." Nick protested mildly. In spite of his protests he couldn't stop smiling because his fingers were laced with Sara's as their linked hands rested against her thigh.  
  
She cocked her head slightly. "You're not putting anyone out. My parents suggested the idea to your parents and the only one who apparently doesn't think it's a good idea is you."  
  
He grinned sheepishly. "I didn't say it wasn't a good idea, I just don't want to be any trouble."  
  
Sara smirked again. "Trust me my mother would love nothing better than to have someone to take care of for a few days."  
  
"Yours and mine both." Nick quipped with a chuckle. "I'm surprised that your mom was able to convince my parents to go with them to Tamales Bay."  
  
Sara had a smug look on her face. "I think the doctor had something to do with that."  
  
Nick looked at her quizzically.  
  
Sara leaned towards him and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "The doctor said you were going to be fine with another day or two in the hospital and he told your parents that you needed your rest. Besides when my parents found out that yours had just celebrated their anniversary, they couldn't resist giving them the honeymooner treatment at the bed and breakfast."  
  
"So if I'm supposed to be resting why are you here then?" He arched an eyebrow in amusement.  
  
Sara scoffed, slightly amused. "I can leave you know. I have some recuperating to do myself." She moved to get up, only to be pulled back down next to him.  
  
Nick grinned at her. "I'd rather that you stay for a while longer."  
  
She smiled, noticing that he was caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. "You do, huh?"  
  
He nodded smiling broadly unabashedly studying her face. "Yeah."  
  
Sara just looked into his eyes as she felt herself blushing. She had a lot of things on her mind, and while she wanted to enjoy what she was feeling with Nick, she also wanted to know where it was going.  
  
Nick seemed to almost be able to read her mind. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'm not sure I would have risked my career for anyone but you, Sar."  
  
She couldn't help but smile. "Well Grissom assured you that you have a job when you go back to Vegas." Despite her best attempt, there was a slight waver in her voice.  
  
"I don't have to go back, you know." He continued to study her expressions as he talked. "I've never even been to Seattle. It might be interesting to see what they do to preserve evidence in the rain."  
  
Sara hadn't mentioned her hesitation about going to Seattle, or her feelings for him. It was obvious to both of them that something was happening, but they hadn't really taken the time to examine it. Sara furrowed her brow. "About Seattle."  
  
Nick looked at her a bit worried. "What about it?" He hoped that she wouldn't tell him that she didn't want him to go with her, that she was going to tell him that there was no chance for them.  
  
She took a deep breath and concentrated on where their hands were joined for a moment before looking at him again. "I'm not sure if I should go." The words were out of her mouth and they felt risky, but at the moment, she didn't care.  
  
Nick looked a little confused. "What do you mean? It's a great career move." He knew how frustrated she'd been working at the lab in Vegas and the thought that she might be having second thoughts about moving to Seattle was a bit of a shock.  
  
She looked him directly in the eye, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm not really thinking about advancing my career right now." She felt a tear slip down her cheek. "I'm thinking about following my heart."  
  
As the words filtered through his mind and sunk in, a tentative smile spread across his face and he reached up and brushed her tear away. "Don't cry."  
  
His simple admonition caused more tears to fall and in the next moment, Sara found herself, cast and all, wrapped in Nick's embrace.  
  
There was a slight hitch in Nick's voice as he whispered into her hair. "My heart followed you."  
  
Sara rested against him like that for a long time, finally pulling out of his embrace to look in his eyes. She sniffled. "What would you say if I asked Grissom for my job back?"  
  
He stroked her tear stained cheeks with his fingertips. "Do you want to come back to Vegas?"  
  
She sniffled again. "I don't know." Her eyes searched his. "I just want to be with you."  
  
"I want to be with you, Sara." He slid his fingers into her hair. "I just don't want you to give up a great career opportunity for me."  
  
Confusion clouded her face.  
  
Nick continued, trying to reassure her. "I'd follow you to Seattle if that's what you wanted. I just want to be with you, where I am isn't important."  
  
Sara started laughing and crying all at once, unsure of what to say.  
  
Nick pulled her towards him as tears began to slip down his cheeks, softly touching his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, the taste of their tears mingling together.  
  
She really didn't know whether she wanted to return to Vegas, and she wasn't sure about going to Seattle anymore either. All she knew at that moment was that she wanted to be with Nick and he wanted to be with her. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Six Months Later:**  
  
It was an unusually clear October day in Seattle. The leaves had started to fall from the trees and the clear weather was a respite from the rain that had been falling nonstop for the last eleven days.  
  
Nick and Sara strolled through Pike Place Market hand in hand, pausing to stop and watch the fish monger toss a king salmon to be wrapped up for some tourist before stepping out of the market and onto the sidewalk to head back to the car. They had spent the day in a leisurely fashion, lingering over breakfast and then heading to the market to meander and pick up a few things.  
  
As they neared the car, Nick paused and turned towards Sara with an inquisitive smile on his face. "Do you ever regret your decision?" He knew that her decision had been a difficult one. They had spent a week together in Tamales Bay after he'd been discharged from the hospital and had spent hours talking through the pros and cons of Vegas versus Seattle. The only decision that hadn't been hard was choosing to be together.  
  
She smiled and shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Not for a minute." She leaned up and kissed him softly for a moment. She really had no regrets. With Nick in her life it didn't seem to matter where she was and what she had to deal with at work because she had someone to come home to that understood what being a CSI was all about.  
  
Nick grinned at her. "I love you." Looking back he realized that the car crash had been a blessing because it had helped he and Sara see how they truly felt about each other and what was really important in life.  
  
She smirked. "I know you do." She tilted her head slightly. "And I love you." Sara was so thankful for Nick and how much being with him had not only changed her life, but helped her to find it again. That day that she'd left Vegas, she had come to the end of herself, but realizing how much she wanted to be with Nick and being given a second chance at life by surviving that car crash had helped her to live more spontaneously and more in the moment than she had before.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her for a long moment before pulling away and taking her hand. "Let's go."  
  
She climbed into the car and smiled as he climbed in and took her hand in his. It was simple gestures like this that made her love him even more.  
  
Nick threaded the car through the Saturday afternoon traffic along Western Avenue and then up towards Queen Anne Avenue and Kerry Park.  
  
As he parked the car, Sara looked over at him curiously.  
  
He just grinned. "I wanted a picture of us up here with the skyline in the background."  
  
She giggled at his sentimental nature and climbed out of the car while Nick looked for an honest looking passerby to take a few pictures of them together. Finally, a young couple stopped and offered to take their picture. Nick stood there for a moment explaining the features of the camera to the man for a moment, then stopped and started to laugh, handing him the camera and sprinting over to where Sara stood. She glanced at him as he approached her. "Satisfied that he knows what he's doing?"  
  
Nick flashed her a sheepish smile. "He's a photographer for the Seattle Times."  
  
Sara couldn't help but laugh. "Figures."  
  
Nick grinned and then wrapped his arms around her. "Ok, smile."  
  
Sara giggled as Nick tickled her. "You are a nut."  
  
He loosened his hold on her and grinned. "I'm a nut, huh?"  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but I love you anyway."  
  
"Good, because I love you too." Nick glanced at the man taking their pictures and then suddenly let go of Sara.  
  
She looked at him a bit confused until she realized what he was doing and then her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
Nick had dropped down on one knee and pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a diamond engagement ring as he looked up at her. "Sara, I love you with all of my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'd be the happiest man in the world if you'd consent to become my wife." Tears had formed in Nick's eyes as he watched Sara's face, and he felt a lump in his throat as he tried to speak again. "Sara Sidle, will you marry me?"  
  
Tears were streaming freely down Sara's cheeks and for the longest moment all she could do was stare at the ring, and then at Nick before she nodded, finally finding her voice which was thick with emotion. "Yes."  
  
Nick grinned and pulled the ring out of the box, slipping it onto her finger with shaking hands before standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist, picking her up and spinning her around. "Wahoo! She said 'yes'!"  
  
As he set her down he leaned down and kissed her long and deep, finally pulling away to look into her eyes. "I love you so much, Sara."  
  
She laughed softly, looking at her hand in disbelief as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I can't believe you just proposed to me."  
  
"And you said 'yes'." Nick couldn't stop grinning.  
  
She just nodded, her smile widening into a grin.  
  
"I think I used all of your film up." The man who Nick had handed his camera to, walked up with a smile on his face. "But I think you're going to be happy with what I caught on film."  
  
"Thanks, Chuck." Nick shook the man's hand before taking the camera.  
  
"Let me be the first of say congratulations." Chuck smiled at Nick and Sara.  
  
"Thank you." Sara shook the man's hand.  
  
"I proposed to my wife up here too." Chuck gestured back towards the woman he had been walking with before knitting his brows together momentarily. "You know, I wonder if you two might consider letting me put your picture in the paper. We don't get enough good news in it these days."  
  
"We know what you mean." Nick agreed. "Sara and I are crime scene investigators."  
  
"Tough job. Do you work out of the crime lab downtown?" Chuck inquired.  
  
Sara shook her head. "No, although we almost did." As much as she wondered at times what it would have been like to have come to live in Seattle, she had no regrets about turning the job down.  
  
Nick slid his arm around Sara's waist. "We work in Las Vegas." He was glad that things had worked out the way they had. When they'd returned, the rest of the team had been very supportive, and Grissom had made a concerted effort to be more in touch with what was going on in the lives of his crew outside of work.  
  
"So you're here on vacation then?" Chuck continued.  
  
Sara nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we're actually heading back to Vegas in the morning." Sara had been hesitant at first when she'd made the decision, but true to his word, Grissom had really tried to treat her the same way he treated the rest of the team, and their working relationship had significantly improved.  
  
By this time, Chuck's wife had walked over to where they stood. "Congratulations." There was a soft smile on her face as she greeted the newly engaged couple. "I'm Cheryl."  
  
"I'm Nick, this is Sara." Nick grinned, still trying to process that he'd just asked Sara to marry him and that she had said yes.  
  
"Nick and Sara, how would you like to join Cheryl and I for dinner tonight." Chuck had a thoughtful expression on his face. "We could all go down to the paper and I'll develop your film and then you could tell us your story over dinner, maybe at the Space Needle."  
  
Nick glanced at Sara with a raised eyebrow. "What do you say, babe?"  
  
She considered the offer for a moment before smiling widely. "I'd love to."  
  
"Ok then." Chuck smiled and then began giving directions to Nick and Sara so they could meet him and Cheryl at the newspaper office.  
  
Several hours later, sitting at a table in the Space Needle restaurant, Chuck smiled at Nick and Sara. "So how did you two meet anyway?"  
  
Nick chuckled, reaching over and squeezing Sara's hand as they exchanged a knowing glance. "Well, I was throwing dummies off of the roof of a hotel."  
  
**_The End_**


End file.
